Do you enjoy discussing fiction and non-fiction books? Dublin Library currently offers three book discussion groups for adults. All the book discussion groups read and discuss a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction books and discuss the same book titles at different times.

The Second Thursday Book Discussion Group meets on the second Thursday of every month from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM in the Dublin Library Program Room. On January 12th, 2017, Second Thursday Book Discussion Group will discuss “Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America’s First Female Rocket Scientist,” by George D. Morgan. This is the true story of America’s first female rocket scientist, who is credited with the invention of the liquid fuel Hydyne in 1957, which powered the Jupiter-C rocket that boosted the United States’ first satellite, Explorer 1. Written by her son, it describes Mary Sherman Morgan’s vital contribution to launching America’s first satellite and the author’s own journey to uncover his mother’s lost legacy, which was buried under a lifetime of personal, political, and technological secrets.

Adult book discussion groups at Dublin Library are limited to a maximum of 10 participants per group. The Second Thursday Book Discussion Group welcomes new members. If you’d like to participate, come to the Adult Information Desk and pick up a copy of the book to read and come ready to have a lively and thought-provoking discussion with group members on January 12th, 2017.

The Third Thursday Book Discussion Group and the Wednesday Evening Adult Book Discussion Group are not looking for new members at this time.

Excited about the new movie Hidden Figures, about African-American women mathematicians who helped NASA win the Space Race? You should also check out the book that inspired the movie and these other biographies of women in the sciences.

Some highlights from our list:

Lab Girl by Hope Jaren – A paleobiologist traces her childhood in her father’s laboratory, her longtime relationship with a brilliant but wounded colleague and the remarkable discoveries they have made both in the lab and during extensive field research assignments.

The Glass Universe, by Dava Sobel – The little-known true story of the unexpected and remarkable contributions to astronomy made by a group of women working in the Harvard College Observatory from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.

Also don’t miss this great children’s book:Women in Science: 50 fearless pioneers
who changed the world, by Rachel Ignotofsky-
A charmingly illustrated book profiling women scientists
around the world and throughout history, from the
ancient Greek mathematician, philosopher, and
astronomer, Hypatia, to Marie Curie, physicist and chemist.

Or, if you want more movies with female scientists in the lead, we’ve got you covered there, too!

Today is the first day of winter, formally called the winter solstice. It is also known as the shortest day of the year, when the sun is in the sky for the shortest amount of time…at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere! For our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, such as those in southern Africa, Australia, and most of South America, it is the longest day of the year and the beginning of the summer solstice. It all depends on how far the Earth’s axis leans away from the sun. In December, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest away from the sun, which is why we tend to get rain, snow, and all the other good stuff that comes with colder weather.

Regardless of the scientific explanation for why the seasons change the way they do, kids love all things related to winter. Take a look at all the winter-related children’s books the library has to offer!

Highlights:

Snow Day! : Frosty the Snowman
Adapted by Courtney B. Carbone

A magic hat brings Frosty the Snowman to life! Can Frosty’s friends help him get to the North Pole before he melts?

10-Minute Seasonal Crafts for Winter
By Annalees Lim

You can do so many things with twigs, pinecones, and rocks. You can even use yogurt containers to make your own penguin bowling set!

Covered California has announced that they are extending the December 15th deadline for coverage starting January 1st, 2017. Consumers can now submit applications up until midnight on Monday, December 19th, 2016, to ensure continuous coverage.

This extension is a response to a surge in interest in the program. Over 25,000 people enrolled during the last two days, bringing the total number of new 2016 enrollees to 153,000.

Generally, start dates for Covered California plans change depending on which half of the month the application is submitted.

For example, an application submitted on January 12th will have a start date of February 1st. Applications submitted in the “first half” of a month (1st – 15th) always begin on the first of the next month.

An application submitted on January 23rd, however, will have a start date of March 1st. Applications submitted in the “last half” of a month (15th – end of a month) have start dates that “skip” the next month, and start on the first of the month after that.

Covered California can extend these deadlines, however! People who miss the current December 17th deadline can still apply up until January 31st, with a start date of March 1st.

Axis Community Health’s enrollment team is ready to help clients meet the new deadline. Call (925) 462-1755 to for free appointments in English or Spanish at any of our medical clinics in Pleasanton or Livermore.

If you’ve ever been in a long car ride, you might have played “I spy” with your fellow passengers (if you managed not to annoy each other to the point of tears). If you’re not familiar with this game, you play “I spy” by describing something that you see to the opposite player. However, you cannot give the actual name of the object away; it’s up to your partner to guess which object you have picked. So instead of “cloud,” you might say “something white” or “shaped like a porcupine” instead.

One of the greatest things about “I spy” is that you can play it anywhere. The best time to play would be at a place where you’d normally spend an inordinate amount of time waiting, such as at the doctor’s office, in the kitchen while cookies are baking, or in line for a ride at Disneyland.

If you’d rather not find your own objects to “spy,” we have plenty of “I spy” types of books at the library. You can search for them on your own through the library’s catalog by typing “picture puzzles” as a keyword search. Of course, we’ve already pulled a sample for you – see below!

Highlights:

The Art Treasure Hunt
By Doris Kutschbach
What sorts of things can you find in famous artworks?

Where’s the Princess?
By Chuck Whelon

This magical books features scenes from twelve favorite fairy tales, from “Sleeping Beauty” to “Pinocchio,” with search-and-find fun on every page.